Biology Graduate Student Society
UBC – Okanagan Campus
3333 University Way • Kelowna • British Columbia
ubcobgss.weebly.com
Guide to new graduate students at UBC-O
On behalf of the BGSS - Welcome to UBC Okanagan!
Are you new to this campus? Maybe even new to Kelowna? Is this your first time in
Canada? Do you feel lost? Are you actually lost?
You are in luck! We have all been there and in this document we’ll try to share
some of our collective knowledge with you to help with your transition to Kelowna
and UBC Okanagan.
Important: First things first……
In order to receive any information from the BGSS, you must join our
created Google Group. This allows us to send you information regarding the
BGSS and our upcoming events. Go ahead. Do it now. We can wait…
http://groups.google.com/group/bgss_ubco
P.S. You can check out the academic calendar in our Google Group. We will
update it with important events, seminars, and BGSS events!
You can also join our Facebook group (UBCO Biology Graduate Students
Society) for less formal updates and to find other students.
Table of Contents
1. Biology Graduate Student Society (BGSS)
Important Contact Info
BGSS Mission Statement
2. Finding Your Way Around Campus
Food
Coffee Locations
3. Weekly Bio-Events on Campus
Biology Seminar Series
Brown Bag Lunch Talks
Fridays at the Well
4. Healthcare
Students Union Health and Dental Insurance
Health Clinic on Campus
Counselling on Campus
Walk-in Clinics in Kelowna
5. Choosing Where to Live
Buses
Commuting
Transportation
Housing
Where to Look
Housing Prices
6. Shopping
Grocery stores
Kelowna Farmer’s and Crafter’s market
Malls
Used furniture
7. Popular Activities in the Area
University Sports Teams
Kelowna Activity Program
Hiking
Climbing
Swimming
Skiing/Snowboarding
Yoga
Gyms
Mountain Biking
Water Sports
Cultural Activities and Clubs
1
1. Biology Graduate Student Society (BGSS)
The BGSS is intended to unite all biology graduate students under a single
voice. We are a society that is fully recognized by the Biology Department
and UBCO.
The 2015/16 executives are:
Jenna Hutchen – VP Communications (jenna.hutchen@ubc.ca)
Sydney Morgan – President (sydney-morgan@hotmail.com)
Candice Quin – VP Finance (candicequin@hotmail.com)
Eric Vukicevich – Activities Commissioner (ericvuke@gmail.com)
Matt Waterhouse – Student-Faculty Liaison (moxiematt@gmail.com)
Feel free to contact any of us! We are here to help you.
BGSS Mission Statement
The Biology Graduate Student Society exists to enrich the academic and
personal lives of all UBC Okanagan Campus biology graduate students by
establishing a community of research excellence, scientific collaboration,
philanthropy, and student advocacy.
Important Contact Info
To directly contact the five members of the BGSS you can either use the
individual emails above or, use this email: bgss.ubco@gmail.com
2. Finding Your Way Around Campus:
The Biology department is a little spread out on campus, but most biology offices
are found in:
●
●
●
The Science building (SCI)
Arts and Science II (ASC)
Fipke Centre (FIP)
2
Our wonderful Unit Assistant is Barb Lucente (barb.lucente@ubc.ca). She
can be found in SCI 317 (3rd floor of the Science building). She’s the one who
will deal with all the details of your employment, tax papers, etc. Lavish her
with smiles (and the occasional coffee). She will save your grad student life
one day.
The Office of the College of Graduate Studies (COGS) is on the 2nd floor
of the EME (Engineering, Management, and Education) Building in room EME
2121. There should be a small sign directing you up the stairs on your left
when coming in through the front doors.
The Financial Aid Office (for student loan & tuition questions), the Student
Union Office (where you pick up your bus pass-sticker and health insurance
card), and the Registration Desk (where you issue your student ID) are all
in the UNC (University Centre) Building.
The Graduate Collegium is located on the 4th floor of the ASC building in
room ASC 460. Here you can heat up your lunch, brew coffee, relax on the
sofa, prepare for your upcoming TA-session, and socialize with other grad
students (all while enjoying the spectacular view of the campus and the
mountains).The collegium has a refrigerator and dishes for you to use. When
you are finished, just put the dishes in the dishwasher. You will need to go
to the College of Graduate Studies office (EME 2121) and fill out a form in
order to receive SALTO access to this room.
You can also check out the entire campus map at:
http://ok.ubc.ca/__shared/assets/Map_-_UBC_Okanagan__PDF_40.pdf
Food
●
●
●
●
In the UNC (University Centre) building there’s a cafeteria with several
options including burgers, sandwiches, stir fry, and a salad bar, as well as
booths serving sushi, soups, Mexican food, etc. in the surrounding area
on the first floor of the UNC.
On the first floor of the ART (Arts) Building there’s a Pita Pit and Booster
Juice.
In the Administration Building, the Sunshine Food court has a few
different options including sandwiches, soups, a carving station, and some
less healthy options like burgers, chicken wings, and fries.
The Well is the only pub on campus. It is on the bottom floor of the UNC.
The acoustics are not great, but sometimes you need a beer after a hard
day. The poutine is gigantic (and if you are new to Canada you are
required to try it at least once!)
3
Attn: Very Important – Coffee Locations
●
The Green Bean (has an espresso machine and brewed coffee) *best
campus coffee
Location: UNC building
●
Green Thread Market (brewed coffee, serve yourself)
Location: UNC building
●
Sunshine Food Court (has brewed Starbucks coffee, serve yourself)
Location: First Floor ADM (Administration) Building
●
Starbucks
Location: First Floor FIP Building
●
Tim Horton’s *gets ridiculously busy during breaks
Location: Library
3. Weekly Bio-Events on Campus
Biology Seminar Series
Guest lectures by visiting professors, post-docs, or graduate students. We
are still figuring out the details for this semester, there may be pizza lunches
involved. Look for flyers on campus (the BGSS has a poster board on the
first floor of the SCI building).
Brown Bag Lunch Talks
These seminars are arranged by BGSS and are intended to highlight your
graduate student / post-doctoral research at UBC Okanagan. Talks will be
around 35 minutes in length to allow time for questions and feedback
regarding your research. Coffee and the occasional birthday cake will be
provided courtesy of BGSS!
Day: Fridays
Time: 12-1pm
Room: EME 2181
If you’re interested in giving a talk, contact Sydney Morgan (email on pg. 2).
4
Fridays at the Well
This has become a tradition where Biology faculty and grad students get
together over a friendly beer to finish off the week.
Day: Fridays
Time: People normally start dropping in at 4pm and leave around 6-7pm, but
it’s flexible.
Place: The Well in the UNC building
4. Healthcare
Students Union Health and Dental Insurance
As part of tuition you pay into a health insurance program, BUT you can opt
out of this in September if you already have health insurance from a different
provider.
For more information about the insurance and opting out, visit:
http://www.ihaveaplan.ca/RTEContent/Document/EN/Brochure/Current_UBC
SUO.pdf
To opt out of health and dental, visit: http://www.ihaveaplan.ca/
Health Clinic on Campus
The health clinic is open all year, Monday-Friday from 9 am-4pm. The
primary health and clinic nurses are available by appointment or on a walk-in
basis. They can assist with a variety of things, but if you need a prescription
you will have to see a physician. The physician’s hours vary, so it’s best to
call ahead and book an appointment (phone number: 250 -807-9270); it is
often possible to make same-day appointments. The clinic is on the third
floor of UNC, room 303. See the website for more information.
http://students.ok.ubc.ca/health-wellness/welcome.html
Counselling on Campus
Across the hall from the Health Clinic is UBC-O’s counselling service. They
have counsellors and psychologists who are fully trained to help you deal
with whatever ails you, from anxiety & stress, to depression and crisis
counselling.
5
Grad students experience some of the highest rates of depression in any
adult group so if you’re feeling down know that you’re not alone and there
are people here who want to help!
http://students.ok.ubc.ca/health-wellness/counselling.html
Walk-in Clinics in Kelowna
There are many walk-in clinics in Kelowna – do a quick Google search of the
one nearest you just in case.
Unfortunately, family doctors are few and far between so it’s unlikely you will
be able to find someone permanent if you are looking.
5. Choosing Where to Live
Buses
As a UBC-O student, you pay for a bus pass with your student fees. It is a
dramatically reduced rate. Take advantage of the pass if you can. The pass
is only valid during the Fall / Winter Semesters. If you want a summer pass,
it is cheap (around $50 for 4 months) and can be purchased at the Used
Book Store in the University Student Center at the end of the winter
semester. Every new school year, you need a new sticker from the Student
Union, located on the ground floor of the UNC building.
Commuting
If you want a parking pass, you need to go online or see the people at the
Parking Office (Unit A101 in the Lower Cascades residence buildings). Get
your pass as soon as the parking passes go on sale. THEY SELL OUT FAST!
For details check out the Parking Services website:
http://parking.ok.ubc.ca/welcome.html
Transportation
Transit System: www.transitbc.com/regions/kel/
Taxi: http://www.kelownacabs.ca/
http://www.checkmatecabs.com/en/
Bike Lanes: www.kelowna.ca/CM/page633.aspx
6
Housing
There are options available to you other than living on campus. The nice
thing about Kelowna is that no matter where you live, you will be able to
access amenities such as groceries and other services relatively easy. Each
area comes with its pros and cons which are listed below.
•
The Downtown (Kelowna North) area is close to beaches, cafés,
restaurants, pubs, and clubs, and has an express bus to UBC-O (bus 97)
that takes 25 minutes. Prices can be a bit more expensive than in
surrounding areas (but there are some good finds if you search). Your
closest grocery store is Safeway so you may have to transit or drive for
cheaper ones
•
Capri is south of Highway 97 and east of main downtown. There are a lot
of houses that rent out basements or walk outs. The Capri mall is not
super charming but has a big Extra Foods with cheap groceries. It is
about a 20 min bus ride to campus.
•
The Pandosy Region (Kelowna South), sometimes also referred to as
“the hospital area” is close to downtown and a nice neighborhood. It is
near several bus stops and shopping is conveniently close. It is about 3545 min bus ride from this area to campus (not bad for Kelowna). One of
the more affordable areas. Lake Okanagan is really close and about a 20
min walk to the downtown area.
•
The Rutland region is not as picturesque as other parts – and further
from the city center – but it is closer to campus, and usually less
expensive. There are bus stops throughout the Rutland, big grocery
stores, and lots of thrift stores in the area.
•
Some grad students live in Winfield (the southern part of Lake Country).
Winfield is north of campus. It is a quiet region, fairly isolated from
downtown and other activities. You can find lakefront rentals here from
Sept-June, but that is the main reason to live in this area. Bus service
takes about 35- 45 min to campus and can be spotty, making it best
suited for those driving.
•
Lower Mission - Far away (lacking convenient bus connections) and
more costly but would give you good access to the beaches.
7
•
Upper Mission – Even more inconvenient for transport to and from
campus.
•
Glenmore - Good location but more costly. A bit of a fancy
neighbourhood. Bus times are more spread out, especially on weekends
and in the summer, but it’s only a 15 minute drive to campus if you have
a car. Not a bad choice if you find a good deal. If you transit your need to
know that the #6 to UBC-O DOESN’T RUN IN THE SUMMER. So if you
need to be on campus your transit time will be longer (we think it’s stupid
too).
•
Black Mountain - Far away from everything.
Where to Look
Here are the most frequently used sites for finding housing options:
http://classifieds.castanet.net/index.php/cat/88 *More people use
Castanet than craigslist here
http://kelowna.kijiji.ca/
http://kelowna.en.craigslist.ca/
Housing Prices
A one bedroom place is going to be between $700 and $900. A studio
apartment (called a bachelor apartment) will run about $600-$750. A room
in a shared house will cost approximately $450-600.
Good luck house hunting!!
6. Shopping
Grocery stores
●
●
●
●
●
●
Superstore (cheap and ginormous)
Save on Foods (big selection and some good deals)
Safeway (convenient but expensive)
Extra Foods (cheap but not great quality produce)
Nesters (local produce and some great deals on meat and fish)
Coopers (a subdivision, smaller version of Save on Foods with less
selection)
8
●
●
●
●
Mediterranean Market (if you’re a sucker for European food you can even
find some Dutch, Swedish, German food here & a large cheese selection)
Valoroso foods (Italian specialty store)
Quality Greens (best prices on produce in town)
Wal-Mart (cheap and sells pretty much everything)
Kelowna Farmer’s and Crafter’s market
Every Wednesday and Saturday you can buy local vegetables, baked goods,
dairy, meat, jams, honey, liqueur, crafts and other things at the farmers
market.
http://www.kelownafarmersandcraftersmarket.com/
Malls
●
●
●
Orchard Park Mall (HWY 97 - the biggest one with a large selection of
clothing stores)
Capri Centre (HWY 97 - small one with poor selection of stores but you
can find cheap stuff)
Town Centre Mall (downtown – the best thing about it is the homemade
chocolate shop called Annegret’s)
There are lots of strip malls all along Highway 97 (Harvey). You can find
almost anything there. That’s also where stores like Wal-Mart, Superstore,
and Canadian Tire are situated.
Finding furniture and appliances for your new home
There are several good second hand/thrift stores in Kelowna where you can
furnish your house for cheap. Here is a selection of them:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Share (a whole storage room full of furniture for cheap $20-100)
Value Village (mostly kitchen supplies and clothes, only a few odds and
ends for furniture)
MCC (some dressers, chairs etc. + kitchen supplies, cheap)
Bibles for Missions (a bunch of furniture + other things) Look out for their
half off specials!
Helping Hands (Some furniture, not super cheap but quite nice stuff)
Salvation Army (Some furniture and kitchen things, a bit more expensive)
Kelowna Women’s Shelter (No furniture, cheap kitchenware)
OK Estates (Lots of second hand furniture, if you look hard there are
serious deals in there!)
9
You can also find a lot of good deals at www.castanet.net or in yard sales:
http://www.castanet.net/events/garage_sales/
7. Popular Activities in the Area
Just because you are now in grad school doesn’t mean you have to live in
your lab/office.
University Sports Teams
If you’d like to join a varsity team or play intramurals at the university you
should check this site out:
http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/athrec/welcome.html. There are teams of
many different sports and skill levels.
The graduate students usually put together an intermural team each
semester. These start early in the semester so look for emails and updates
from the BGSS! Walk-ons are always invited, but we do need some
commitment for these to work!
Kelowna Activity Program
Looking for yoga, martial arts, cross-fit, Spanish classes, landscape
painting, basket weaving? Well, the city probably has a class! Every
year the City of Kelowna has their Activity Program where they host
literally HUNDREDS of local classes. This is a great resource and one
every student should know!
http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page4261.aspx
Hiking
There are tons of hiking trails around Kelowna, and the fact that it seldom
rains makes hiking wonderful. Closest to town is the Knox mountain park
where you can hike up and get a view of the lake and the city. For more
ideas on where to hike, visit:
http://www.trailpeak.com/widgets?location=Kelowna,%20BC
10
Climbing
Several of the biology grad students climb at the climbing gym:
http://www.beyondthecrux.info/btchomeflash.html and there are several
walls around Kelowna where you can go climbing outdoors.
Swimming
If you like to go swimming, check out the surrounding lakes or the pools at
these places:
The H2O Centre (nice pool but expensive): http://www.h2okelowna.com/
The Parkinson Recreation Centre (small pool but reasonable – also has full
gym facilities): http://www.city.kelowna.bc.ca/CM/Page636.aspx
Kelowna Family Y: http://www.kfy.ca/
Skiing/Snowboarding
There are two ski hills in the vicinity of Kelowna: Big White and Silver Star.
They have season passes and special deals for night skiing ($10 for a lift
ticket!!) on Fridays (Big White) and Saturdays (Silver Star)
http://www.bigwhite.com/
http://www.skisilverstar.com/
Yoga
There are several places in Kelowna offering Yoga classes:
http://www.kelownayogahouse.org/
http://www.trinityyogacenter.com/
http://www.anjaliyoga.ca/
http://www.bikramyogakelowna.com/
http://www.kelownahotyogastudio.com/
http://kelowna.mokshayoga.ca/
http://www.neumovement.com/
11
Gyms
UBC-O does have its own gym (The Hanger) but it is small and crowded at
the best of times. Unless you want to convenience of being right on campus
we recommend looking elsewhere.
http://www.twpfitness.com/ *Women-only gym that’s cheap with a good
selection of classes
http://www.globalfitnesskelowna.com/
http://www.goodlifefitness.com/locations/britishcolumbia/kelowna/capricentre
http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page288.aspx *Various rec centers
Mountain Biking
There are several mountain biking trails around Kelowna.
Check these guys out for more info: http://mtbco.ca/ or read this review:
http://www.trailpeak.com/index.jsp?con=article&val=613*art
Water Sports
The surrounding lakes are popular for water skiing and wake boarding as well
as kayaking and canoeing. For rentals check out:
http://www.welcometokelowna.com/directoryListings.php?categoryID=59
Cultural Activities and Clubs
To find book clubs, knitting workshops, dance classes etc. check out these
sites:
http://www.rotarycentreforthearts.com/courses.html
http://www.orl.bc.ca/branches/kelowna
http://classifieds.castanet.net/showcat.php/cat/648
We hope all this information (or at least some of it) can be of use for you while
making yourself at home in Kelowna and at UBC-O.
If you have any questions, contact us at bgss.ubco@gmail.com
12
Updated: 2015
13